


Falling In

by yours_kay



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017), Riverdale (TV 2017) RPF
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:14:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23514487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yours_kay/pseuds/yours_kay
Summary: Elisabeth (Betty) Cooper has always been perfect. She’s had to be. At 17, she was pretty, a straight A student, a River Vixen, and she came from the perfect family. Well, that’s what the world thought...Jughead Jones, a 17 year old gang leader. He spent his whole life preparing to be the Serpents’ gang leader like his father, and now he finally was. He was, in fact, what parents warned their kids about when they went out. Stay away. Jughead was the farthest thing from perfect.But what happens when their worlds collide? Do opposites really attract? Betty is caught with a burning passion that she mistakes for hatred. Jughead could never like a perfect girl like Betty and  Betty could never fall for a gang leader... or so they thought. After being thrown together, they’re faced with obstacles that threaten to rip them apart. Will the boy from the wrong side of the tracks hold on to the perfect girl next store or will they give up and break apart?
Relationships: Archie Andrews/Veronica Lodge, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones, Cheryl Blossom/Toni Topaz
Comments: 9
Kudos: 27





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter One-

BETTY

My head swirled as I ran. I felt branches from the trees brush against my cheeks and tear through my skin, leaving lines of red. Blood. I heard someone calling my name. I threw myself into a clearing. What was I running from? I heard the voice yelling at me to do it. My head swam as I tried to figure out what they wanted. I looked down at my hands and saw a gun. It was cool against my sweaty grip. I looked up and saw a boy. They voice wanted me to shoot him... I raised the gun and closed my eyes as I fired. I opened my eyes and the gun was gone but, instead, my hands ran red with blood. I was dizzy. I stumbled out of the clearing. I couldn’t breathe. I stopped to catch my breath. A hand covered my mouth and something hit my head, hard. 

I jolted awake. Groaning, I turned to my clock. 5:45 am. I sat up and slid my legs out from under the covers. That was the third time I’ve had that dream. It was a Thursday, at least. I got up but immediately sank to the ground. I did not want to go to school. I stood slowly and walked over to my vanity, grabbing a hairbrush. I threw on a pink sweater and a jean skirt, avoiding the mirror. I smoothed my hair back into a high ponytail. Sighing, I sat down in my chair and did a quick layer of makeup. I reached for my lip gloss and knocked it off of my vanity. I groaned and reached for it but someone beat me to it. I gasped and looked up to see my mother handing me my lip gloss. 

“Good morning, Elizabeth. Clumsy today, are we?” My mother, scolded me.

“Just tired, I guess. I didn’t sleep well last night.” I retorted. Her putting even more pressure on me was the last thing I needed. 

“Well, here, I got you a new tube of lip gloss. Pink Perfection.”

“Thank you, mom.” I mumbled taking both the old tube and the new tube. I spread the glossy substance on both lips, smacking them together as I stood up, slipping the new tube into my backpack and brushing past my mother to get to the kitchen. She followed me out, fixing my ponytail from behind, smoothing it out. I got downstairs and dropped my bag on the bench by the door. When I made it to the kitchen, I reached for the cereal. 

“Elizabeth, have fruit, please. You don’t want to gain more weight before the pep rally tomorrow night.” My mom said, barely looking up from her phone. 

“Fine. I’ll have fruit.” I replied hastily, rolling my eyes. I grabbed a prepackaged fruit salad and a fork and waved goodbye to my mom. She smiled at me from the table and I slid out the door. I checked my phone for the first time all morning.

“Damn it...” I mumbled. My phone didn’t charge last night, it was at 13%.  
I continued my walk, responding to Veronica’s text.  
V- B! meet me at Pop’s before school, my treat.  
B- Okay see you soon.  
I rerouted my path and walked to Pop’s, our lovable family diner, open twenty-four hours a day. I looked back at my phone battery. 4%. Seriously? Hopefully Veronica had a charger. I made it to Pop’s and stopped dead in my tracks. Outside if it, there was a biker gang. Motercycles roamed the otherwise empty parking lot and the gang members were lazily tossing their cigarette butts and play shoving and fighting. My heart beat sped up as i forced myself to walk. I wiped my sweating hands on my skirt and kept my head down. 

“Hey! Look what we’ve got here!” 

My head shot up as I heard a voice. My eyes fell on the guy who spoke. A serpent tattoo was pressed against his neck and he was standing with a shorter boy. 

“Well, don’t ignore me, baby. Are you ignoring me? Hey!”

I kept walking until I felt a firm grasp on my arm. I swung around, dropping my phone on the pavement. I looked down, knowing it would be cracked, but that was the least of my concerns. 

“I’m sorry, did I scare you?”

I just stared at him as another voice spoke up.

“Sweet Pea, leave her alone, come on.” The boy that was standing next to him before said it, but was laughing. 

“Chill out, Fangs, I’m not gonna hurt her... most likely,” the boy, Sweet Pea, sneered. “Aw, c’mon baby, speak.”

I figured I should say something but my throat felt thick and my lips were dry. 

“Sorry to bother you guys... um... I’m just meeting a friend so if you’ll excuse me...” I whispered, politely, hoping they’d release me. 

“She does speak!” Sweet Pea called out, as the other Serpents laughed. “Hmm... what should we do first?”

I trembled as his slid his hand over my arm. I squeezed my eyes shut just as a voice called out.

“Sweet Pea. Cut it out.” The voice commanded.  
I didn’t think that would work, Fangs couldn’t control him, but his hand let go of my arm and he backed up. 

“Thank you.” I mumbled to him. I started walking into Pop’s Chocklit Shop, trying to keep a steady pace and not sprint into the diner. I was almost to the steps when the boy who made Sweet Pea let go stepped out in front of me. I almost ran him over but he stuck out his arms and gripped my shoulders. My eyes grew wide. Of course it wasn’t that easy. 

“You forgot your phone, princess.” The husky voice said.  
I spun around and saw my phone still laying there.

“Oh... crap. That’s okay, I don’t need it.” I did not want to go all the way back over there. I was so close to the door, to safety. 

“Go get it.” He commanded. I twisted my head to look up at him. His eyes were a blue green color and he bit down on a toothpick. He looked about my age. He held eye contact with me until I nodded and stepped forward. I speed walked over to my phone and bent down to get it. As I stood back up, Veronica turned the corner and walked into the parking lot. 

“B! You okay?” She assessed me with her eyes as she jogged over to me. She clearly saw the fear in my eyes.

“I-I’m fine, V. Let’s just go inside. Please.” I said, my voice rough. 

“Your phone is cracked!” She pointed out. She scanned the gang and said, “You guys better stay away from her. I’m serious.”  
They laughed. And a murmur ran over the crowd. Veronica grabbed my wrist and pulled me behind her, straight to the door and past the boy with the greenish blue eyes. As I walked past he grabbed my arm, pulling us to a stop. 

“See you around, Princess.” He grinned at me.  
I nodded. Why did I nod? It’s not like i’m going to see him again. Veronica brushed his hand off my arm and pulled me in. She was raging about how entitled they were and how annoying they could be. But all I could think about was his eyed and his grin. God, stop thinking about him! We sat at a booth and we looked over my phone and debated how mad my mom was going to be. But still, his eyes were imprinted into my memory and distracted me for the rest of the day.


	2. Jughead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you were confused, the names that are featured in the beginning of the chapter represents who's point of view the chapter is based on! Thanks!

"Jughead. Jughead!"

I awoke with a start as my name was being called. I grunt as I push myself up off of the couch where I had been sleeping.

"Jug-Oh. Good, you're up. I put some bread in the toaster so you can have that and some orange juice if you want, okay?" My dad, FP Jones, asks, shuffling into the living room. 

"Yeah, sure." I reply as I walk into the small kitchen. There's almost no room in this trailer. Sunny Side Trailer Park is where myself and the rest of the Serpents live. As clustered and small as it is, it's home and I wouldn't have it any other way. I grab a glass from the sink and pour myself some orange juice as my dad reaches from behind me to grab a coffee mug from the cupboard. My dad grabs a newspaper from the small table and sits down. I grab my toast and spread a thin layer of butter on it. I bite into it and it's burnt, perfect. 

"How's school going, boy?" My dad asks, making unnecessary small talk. I'm not a morning person, neither is he. My mom and my sister were, though. I haven't seen them since I was eleven years old. My mom got sick of the emotional roller coaster that came with being a Serpent, especially since my dad was the king. Well, former king. I've taken over, now. 

"Eh." I barely reply. I hate small talk. Besides, I know what he wants to know. 

"Uneasy sits the crown?" My dad pushes on. 

"No, it's fine. The guys listen, they all do. And I know what you're thinking, and the answer is no." I spit the words at him. He raises his eyebrows.

"No...? What do you mean no?" 

"No, I haven't named anyone Serpent Queen and no, I don't have anyone in mind." I am not in the mood for games. I take the last bite of toast and throw the plate into the sink, tossing my napkin out as I grab my school bag. 

"You're grumpy this morning. C'mon it's a Friday which means no curfew and you get to sleep in tomorrow. Oh, but you're school is playing against Riverdale High in the football game so you should go, instead of drinking at the White Wyrm. Besides, your seventeen and it's supposed to be an occasional drink. Like at celebrations." My dad concludes.  
I give him a look. He knows the Serpents don't do school spirit or football games. We hold our stare for a minute before I sigh. I wasn't expecting a win anyway. 

"Fine. Alright we'll go. But we're not watching the game, just so you know." 

"That's fine, go have fun."

I give him a falsely enthusiastic thumbs up as I leave to go to school. Toni, Sweet Pea, and Fangs are already waiting outside my house. 

"Jones, look at you. Just like a ray of sunshine!" Toni says. She's being sarcastic but I smile anyway, scoffing. 

"What's wrong Jug?" Sweet Pea asks. 

"My dad's making us go to the football game at Riverdale High tonight."

"What? No way. I'm not showing my face there." Fangs groans. 

"Well, if I'm going so are you." I throw his helmet at him

"Great. What a great way to spend a Friday night," Toni replies, her voice thick with sarcasm and annoyance. "But on the bright side, there will be a lot of cheerleaders in miniskirts!" 

"See there's a bright side." Sweet says throwing his leg over his motorcycle. 

I laugh. I have a type and it's definitely not cheerleaders. We all get on our motorcycles, Toni sliding on behind Fangs. As we drive off, I get lost in my thoughts. The wind whipping through my hair, the open roads, my friends whooping. I think about the blonde from yesterday again. Her emerald green eyes, her scared look as she turned to look at me. Touching her arms sent a jolt through me that scared me. My walls were up and I wasn't going to let her in. We all knew who she was as soon as she came. The Northside Princess. Well, that's what the Southsiders called her. She was from the perfect family, she was gorgeous. We pulled into the rundown school parking lot and met up with a couple other guys from the gang, Toni running up to Peaches, her girlfriend. We walked in and separated to go to first block. Toni came up from behind me, bumping her shoulder with mine. 

"Alright Jug, I've had it. What's on your mind?" I looked at her, raising an eyebrow. 

"What? Nothing. Nothings on my mind, I don't even know what you're talking about." I stumble through my words. I can lie to everyone, I'm pretty good at it, but when it comes to the Northside Princess, my heart rate rises and I'm stuttering. Why? I don't even know her name. All I know is her friend called her B.

"Don't lie to me," She says. Clearly she can tell I'm nervous. "Who is she?"

"What? There's nobody. She's nobody." 

"So there is a girl! Who?" 

"Toni please, stop it, you're gonna give me a bad rep." I say. I feel people's eyes trace us as we walk down the hall. 

"Fine," She gives up. "But I'm gonna find out sooner or later, got it?"

I throw my head back and groan as she pulls me into class. We sit in Algebra, the worst class to start the day with. My teacher,Ms. Robin, walks in, and snaps a ruler against her desk. 

"Class, I have a very important announcement." She glares through her small glasses, making sure everyone's focused. "School has been shut down."  
The class erupts in cheers. Toni smacks my arm, grinning. I let out a cheer with the rest of the class. 

"Hey! Now, that doesn't mean you won't be learning. You're all being transferred." Ms. Robin, smiles then, almost evilly. "You'll finish the rest of the year at Riverdale High."

The class shouts then, angry exclamations. The Riverdale High Bulldogs were our biggest rivals. We were not about to become them. I groaned and turned to Toni, her mouth pressed into a thin line. 

"When?" A girl in the back yells out. 

"You will all start your learning experience there on Monday," Ms. Robin says. As the class starts to get worked up again she cuts us off. "Oh and you'll all be bused over there, no motorcycles or cars allowed. They don't trust you over there. Yet, anyways."

That's when the yelling grew the loudest. Kids stood up, slamming on desks. Ms. Robin just sits back on the desk, loving the chaos.

Chaos. This is nothing compared to what the Southside will do to the Northside. Nobody is happy about this and chaos, Ms. Robin, is exactly what we'll bring. You just wait.


	3. Betty

The final school bell rings and the class hurries to pack up their stuff and make a mad dash to the door. I'm shoving my notebook into my bag when a shadow makes its way across my desk. I look up to see a familiar face. 

"Hey, Archie, what's up?" I ask, avoiding his eyes. The whole school thinks we should go out. He's on the football team and I'm a cheerleader. We've also been next-door neighbors our whole lives. My only hope is that Archie Andrews doesn't feel the same way. 

"Betty, hey. You coming to the game tonight?" He asks. I want this to the only question he has on his mind. 

"Yeah, I have to go since I'm a Vixen." 

"Oh right, right... Well, then I'll see you there! I want to talk to you after we play, I have to ask you something." 

Oh no... At least I have a heads up so I can think of an answer before hand. Or more reasonably, a polite declination. He smiles at me and runs out of the room, met with the rest of the Bulldogs as they start towards the locker room. I'm the last person left in the room and I jump up and walk over towards my locker. My phone vibrates in my pocket and I yank it out to see Veronica calling.

"Hey, V, sorry I got caught up. I'm walking towards our lockers now."

"Ugh, you take forever. Can you hurry up, B? Chuck Clayton is in the hallway." 

"Oh no, yeah I'm coming, just... hold on." Chuck is the worst thing to happen in our school since, well, forever probably. He's classified as a player but he's so much more. Chuck bends girls to his will and uses them. He hurt Veronica and he constantly bothers both of us. But not just us, every girl that he finds somewhat attractive, he'll attempt to get them in his clutches and most of the time, he succeeds. The last known time he actually touched a girl was Veronica and I am not about to let that happen now. I rounded the corner and Veronica ran up to me. 

"Finally." She spit. I raised my eyebrows.

"Whoa, watch that attitude. In my defense, I was in the middle of something with Archie." I gave her a look and she grinned. 

"It's happening! Did he ask you out?" 

"V, can we talk later and leave now? Please?" I nodded my head towards Chuck and she nodded pulling me past Chuck, looping her arm through mine. As we walked down the street, she raved about how unfair it was that she had two tests tomorrow and she only just learned about one of them today. I nodded, put gasps and agreed with her when I was supposed to, but I wasn't really listening. The Serpent from Pop's was stuck in my head. His eyes, his mouth, his jacket, his hand on my arm...  
I shook out my head, snapping back to reality.

"B! Are you listening?"

"Of course! What were saying again? I zoned out." She looked at me with her nose scrunched up.

"What?" I said, feeling self conscious.

"Nothing, nothing. You just look... dazed or something." She replied, shaking her head. "Anyways, I was saying how there's going to be a whole school being transferred into Riverdale High so it's going to be so crowded."

"Wait, what? Another school is sending all of their students to ours? What school?"

"Southside High."

"Southside High? As in, the school that the Serpents go to?" I shriek at her, the Serpent boy flashing back into my mind.

"Yeah, not to mention multiple other gangs and drug addicts but yeah, the Serpents go there, too." She looks at me, clearly confused about why I sound so alarmed.

I look at her and raise my eyebrows. "V, those are the people that ganged up on me at Pop's yesterday! Remember?" Veronica's eyes go wide as she recalls the early morning shakedown at Pop's. 

"Oh my gosh, I totally forgot! Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." I brush off her alarmed look and stop walking. "I gotta go home, my dad's coming back today and my mom will kill me if I'm not back when he gets there. I'll see you tonight at the game, okay?"

"Your dad?" She asks worriedly. I nod. "Yeah so I gotta go. You'll pick me up and then we can talk about Archie, okay?" "Yes! Okay, see you, B." She starts down her street towards the Pembrooke, the luxurious apartment building her mother owns as I take off the other way, towards Elm Street. Once my house is in view my stomach flips when I see my father's car is already in the driveway. I sprint towards the house and slam into the door, shoving it open. My mom peers around the corner from the kitchen.

"Elizabeth, so glad you finally made it home. Come say hello to your father." I plaster on a fake smile and slide of my shoes. I walk into the kitchen and see my dad sitting on the bar stool. 

"Betty, there's my girl. You're home later then usual." He says in a phony positive voice. It sends chills down my back as I stand up straighter. 

"Um, yeah, I had to talk to a teacher after class about a paper I turned in and then I-I walked with Veronica." I stumbled threw my sentence, feeling his eyes travel over my face. 

"Hm, well I'm hoping we can spend the night together, as a family." He smiles. "Especially since Chic is coming home."

"W-what? Chic?" I haven't seen my brother since he went to a medical center for help, two years ago, but he still creeps me out, sending a chill down my spine as I recall vague memories of him lurking just down the hall. 

"Yes, Elizabeth. You're father and I decided it would best for your brother to finally come home." My mother explained. 

"So tonight then?" My father reminded me. 

"No, no not tonight. There's a football game tonight and since I'm on the cheer squad I have to, you know, cheer." I squeezed out the words through my throat, which felt as if it was closing up, suffocating me. 

"Oh well, that's all right." My dad shrugged.

"Are you sure, Hal?" My mom asked, just as surprised as I was, no doubt. 

"Of course. I mean, I'd love to see her dance and I'm sure Chic would, too. You don't mind if we come, do you Betty?"

I stared at them both, dumbfounded.

"O-okay, I'll see you there, then." I stutter. "I should go get ready now though. Veronica's picking me up soon."

I turn and bolt up the stairs, collapsing once I get into my room. My body rocks with each sob that bubbles in my throat. Why did they have to come back? Why now? I shakily stand and reach for my Vixen uniform and stumble as I pull it on. I slip on my white cheer sneakers and pull myself together. 

From downstairs my mom shouts, "Elizabeth! Veronica's here!" 

I move down the stairs and grab my bag, calling out a quick "see you soon" as I close the door.  
I wave to Veronica, hopping down the steps and throw my bag into the bag of the car, snapping on my seat belt. 

It's a fifteen minute drive from my house to the school so Veronica happily shares all of the gossip she heard since she last saw me, which is a lot, surprisingly. I'm happy to be away from my family even if it's only for a little bit. Thankfully, V doesn't ask me about my dad. She knows I hate talking about him and respects that. Immersed in the latest hookup that Cheryl Blossom, my cousin and head cheerleader, just had, apparently she was spotted with a Serpent, I barely notice when we pull up. We jump out of the car, walking over towards the bleachers where Cheryl has us meet. We're the last people to arrive and Cheryl gives us a glare. 

"Ladies, pick up the pace please. We're running on my schedule, not yours." She commands, snapping her fingers.

We run over and get in line with the other cheerleaders. Cheryl leads us in some stretches and I try not to let my mind wander. My eyes trace the field and make their way over to the parking lot. Just as I'm about to move them back to Cheryl, three motorcycles pull in. Four people hop off and they walk over to the edge of the field. All of us are looking over and it's clear that they're Serpents. Three boys and one girl. They look so familiar and my stomach churns as I look at Veronica. Cheryl yells at us loud enough that the Serpents could probably hear and she tells us to follow her. She starts the trek over to where the small group stands and we all slowly obey. I'm in the center of the group, trying not to be noticed. Cheryl stops and raises a hand so we'll stop, too. 

"Well well, look what the tide pulled in." She sneers.

The Serpent girl with purple highlights rolls her eyes. "Calm down, Cheryl. We're just watching the game and hanging out."

"How very." Cheryl responds, clearly annoyed. "This is Bulldog territory and us Vixens aren't going to let you stain it." 

I look at Veronica and she looks like she's about to laugh. I muffle a giggle and she sees. We both shake as we try not to be heard. Cheryl snaps her head around as Veronica fails to be quiet. 

"Excuse me, who was that?" Cheryl announces. All of the Vixens point at us and push us forward. 

"Cousin. Veronica. What do you have to say for yourselves?" 

I look up at the Serpents and remember them. Included in the group is the boy who I can't get out of my head. He smirks at me and I blush.

"Well? I'm waiting." Cheryl says, impatient. 

"Sorry, Cher. We couldn't help it. It's just a football field and you're making this a big deal." Veronica says, smiling.

"Right, yeah. And we looked at each other and we couldn't stop. You know the feeling right? We're really, really sorry." I add.

Veronica nods as we look at each other again. I feel laughter rise up in my stomach again and she presses her mouth into a line, trying not to smile as Cheryl stares us down. 

"No, I do not know the feeling. And clearly, you still think this is funny. Go take a lap, maybe when you come back you'll feel better." Cheryl remarks. 

Veronica and I nod and start walking around the field. As we get farther, we start laughing loudly.

"Run!" Cheryl shrieks at us from behind.

We take off, still laughing as we run our lap. Cheryl and the rest of the Vixens stay until we make it back. 

"Hopefully you learned your lesson. Let's go ladies, people are arriving." Veronica and I follow behind the rest of the Vixens. I glance back at the boy and he's staring right at me. I hold his stare for a minute, then I drop my gaze. 

"Who're you staring at?" Veronica asks me, looking behind.

"No one. Come on, before Cheryl makes us run another lap." 

We run into position as the crowd fills up. We form a triangle shape. Cheryl in front, me off her right shoulder, another Vixen, Marie, off her left. Veronica stands behind me and the rest of the squad get into place. We stand still with our heads down for 10 minutes until the crowd is full. I sneak glances towards the parking lot but I don't see the Serpents over there anymore. I'm surprised that I find it disappointing. The music starts to play and Cheryl claps once, telling us we're starting. I lose myself to the music, remembering every move and when to do each. I spin out, jump when I need to, do a lot of body rolls. Then the music ends and I drop to my knee with the rest of the girls, in ending position. Everyone cheers and claps as I smile and search the crowd for my family. I see them. They're standing in the middle clapping, but not smiling. My stomach drops, at the sight. I shake it off running off the field to make room for the football teams. My family meets me behind the bleachers. My mom comes first, pulling me into a hug. My dad maneuvers his way through the crowd and nods at me.

"Good job, Betty." It wasn't my fathers voice, but my brother's. I twist my head around and see Chic standing next to me. Too close. 

"Chic... hi. I haven't seen you in forever." I murmur. 

"I know, it's been too long." He replies. He stares at me and I move my eyes to look at my mother.

"So, did you think I did well, Mom?" I ask, wondering if she'll criticize me or praise me.

She shrugs, saying, "You were good, Sweetie. But do you remember when Polly used to cheer? She was flawless. When she comes back, I'm sure she'll give you some tips."

"Mom... what? Polly's not coming back. You know that." My sister, Polly, killed herself when I was 16, she was 18. My mom still pretends that that never happened, that she's just at college or living her life like she would be if she didn't die. The truth is, my toxic parents drove my sister to suicide and refuse to admit it. 

"Betty, quiet. That's not true." My dad glares at me, gripping my arm. 

"No! I'm tired of pretending! She's gone Mom! So please, stop holding me up to her standards! Stop comparing me! I'm not Polly so please just notice me! See me, not her. For once." Tears start to roll down my face as I hastily wipe them away. 

My mom is stunned.

"Mom, I'm sor-" I'm cut of by a smack in the face. My dad slapped me. It stings and my heart pounds loudly in my chest. 

"Shut up, Betty. Who do you think you are?" He says.

I stare at him, holding my face. I turn and run, making my way through the crowd. I slide between the school buildings and cry. I hear someone following me and look up. 

"Go away." I sob.


	4. Jughead

I'm standing with the Sweet Pea, Fangs, and Toni as we drink and laugh. Sweet Pea smokes and rough houses with Fangs as Toni and I watch and yell at them.

"So, Jug, that blonde you were staring at. Is that the secret girlfriend?" Toni asks, smiling.

"No, she's not my girlfriend, I don't even know her." I groan. 

"Really? Because she looked like the Northside Princess, to me." Toni pushes. 

"That's because she was."

Toni raises her eyebrows at me and nods. I look around the lot when I see the very girl I can't stop thinking about run into a space between the buildings. 

"I'll be right back." I say to Toni, grabbing my drink and walking towards the girl. Someone runs in after her and I stop, standing close enough to hear, but staying out of sight.

"Go away." She sobs. I peer around the corner and see she's talking to a young boy.

"No." He says, simply.

The girl holds her cheek and rolls her eyes.

"I'm serious, Chic. Leave. Go find Mom and Dad and tell them to just go." She cries.

"Oh, Betty. I'm sorry that you're upset but you deserved it. You were stupid." The boy, Chic, shrugs. So her name is Betty then.

Betty gasps. "How was I stupid? She's dead, Chic, and they keep comparing me to her. I'm not Polly and I never will be! I'm tired of talking like she's gonna come back. She's not. She's never coming back. It's not my fault that they can't handle the truth. Don't you get it? They blame me but it's not my fault. They killed Polly, not me!"

I'm confused. Is she saying her parents killed someone? What happened to Betty? Why is she holding her face?

Chic sighs and turns to leave. "I suggest getting some ice on that." With that, he walks away. 

Betty leans her head back against the wall, sitting on the ground. I walk over to her. She looks up, her eyes wide and teary. 

"You? What are you doing?" She whispers. I sit down next to her. 

"Here." I say, handing her my drink. "It's still cold, it'll feel good against your cheek."

"Thank you." She takes it from me and removes her hand from her face, revealing a dark bruise blossoming against her cheek. She presses my drink against it and sighs.

"Can I ask your name?" Betty looks up at me, curious. 

"Jughead Jones." I look back at her. "Can I ask yours?"

She laughs. "Elizabeth Cooper. But you can just call me Betty."

I smile when she laughs and nod. 

"So, you're a Serpent?" She wonders, looking at my jacket.

"Yep, my dad was the king for the last twenty-two years and now it's my turn." 

"Wow. But you look so young."

"Yeah, I'm seventeen." I nod. Honestly, I was surprised that I was opening up to her. I rarely, if ever, talk this freely with someone, especially if they're not a Serpent.

"Me, too."

I stare at her, watching her arrange the bottle on her face. 

"What?" She asks, looking back up at me.

"What happened?" I ask her, nodding at her bruised cheek. 

"Oh, um, nothing, I'm just clumsy and I-I tripped." She lied. I raise my eyebrows.

"You're an awful liar, Betts. Who hit you?" I press. Her eyes go wide and she bites her bottom lip.

She sighs. "My dad."

"What? You're dad hit you?" I ask, angrily. The thought of someone hurting her makes my blood boil in an unfamiliar way.

"It's okay, Jug. I-It was an accident." 

"It definitely was not an accident, Betty." 

She stays quiet. I put my head back against the wall.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to push. I'm just worried." I say, quietly.

"Why? You don't even know me." She asks.

"Well, I want to know you." I say, looking at her. She looks down and blushes. 

"I want to know you, too." She admits. 

I smile. "You go to Riverdale High, right? My school is being transferred to yours so maybe you could show me around?"

"I'd love to." She smiles for a minute then frowns. "But I gotta go. I don't want to keep my family waiting."

"Wait, can I at least have your number?" 

She laughs. "Of course, yeah. Give me your phone." I reach into my pocket to find it empty. 

"Crap, I left my phone with my bike. Do you have yours?" I plead.

"No, it's in my bag, which is by the bleachers." She frowns.

"Come on, we'll go grab mine." I stand up reaching my hand out to help her up. She grabs it and my stomach flips as our hands touch. She stumbles forward a little bit and I slide my hands to her waist as she regains balance. 

"Thank you. Let's go." She smiles at me. I keep my hand on her back and walk over towards the bikes and my friends. Once we get there, they look up and are clearly surprised to find who I'm with. Betty's step falters as she notices Sweet Pea. 

"Hey, it's okay. He's not gonna bother you, again." I say to her. "Isn't that right, Sweet?" I call out to him.

"Right." He responds, staring. 

I walk her towards Toni to grab my phone and she grins at me. 

"What?" I ask.

Oh, nothing, nothing at all." She responds, still smiling. 

"Toni, this is Betty. Betty, this is Toni." I introduce them and Betty reaches out her hand. Toni shakes it.

"It's nice to meet you, Toni." Betty politely responds.

"Yeah, back at you." Toni says. The difference between Northside and Southside is abundantly clear right now. I grab my phone and hand it to Betty. She types in her number and hands it back. 

"So, I'll..." I start.

"Call me later." Betty supplies, smiling. 

I grin. "Yeah, definitely!"

"Perfect. Okay, now I really have to go. Toni, it was nice to meet you. You too, Juggie." She kisses my cheek and turns the other way jogging towards the field. She waves to Sweet Pea and Fangs as she passes and I smile. 

"Wow, Jones. Look at you." Toni says, eyebrows raised. 

"What?" I reply defensively. She just shakes her head, smirking. Sweet Pea and Fangs rush over. 

"Dude, she was hot!" Fangs congratulates me, patting me on the back.

"Yeah, but so not your type." Sweet Pea points out.

I shrug. "Well, we're just friends so..." 

"Yeah, right." Fangs snorts.

"Hey, I just met her!" I burst.

Fangs hands go up, in a defensive manor, laying down arms. "Okay, okay. You don't have a crush on her. Whatever you say."

I groan.

"Come on guys cut him some slack," Sweet Pea jokes. "This is obviously his first time in love so we'll let him figure it out!" I lunge at him and he jerks away, laughing.

"I'm not in love," I grumble. "I barely even know her." 

Toni rubs my arm, laughing and running after Fangs as he chases Sweet Pea to the cooler. I shake my head, wondering how it's possible to want somebody so badly when you only just met them. Sweet Pea was right, though. I just didn't want to admit it. I'd never been in love before, I didn't know how it felt. I looked at my phone, at Betty's contact. I felt drawn towards the call button but it hadn't even been five minutes yet. I quickly turned off my phone and shoved it into my pocket. I looked towards the field as the game was ending. I spotted the cheerleaders on the sidelines and saw the raven haired girl that Betty had to run a lap with. Then there she was, Betty rushing towards the girl and the girl grabbed her hands. After a minute, the raven girl put her hand up to Betty's face and then looked over towards me. I jerked my head away before she could catch me staring. I ran over to my friends and acted as though my mind was there and not focused on the beautiful blonde with the emerald eyes.


	5. Betty

I'm grinning as I run up to Veronica. 

"Betty! There you are! Where did you go after the routine? I was looking all over for you." She exclaims.

Panting, I spill everything that just happened, leaving out the part about my dad."I was over by the school and one of the Serpents from the other night, the one by the door, came up to me because I was crying and we started talking and he was really nice and cute and he made me smile even though I was hurt so I gave him my number and..."

"Whoa Whoa Whoa, slow down, B! You're saying you met a cute boy?" She screams excitedly, gripping my hands, jumping. 

"Yes, shh!" I smile.

"What happened to your face? And where is he?"

"Oh... I-I tripped while I was running and he's in the parking lot." I expose his place and Veronica looks over. 

"V! Don't look!" I reprimand her, blushing.

"Sorry," Veronica apologizes. "But look at you!"

"I know, he was so sweet." I bite my lip to hide my grin. 

"Oh my god, swoon!" She pulls me in for a hug as the final buzzer beeps and the game ends. The players run off the field and people congratulate them and cheer. The parking lot fills as the crowd spills into it, ready to leave. 

"I have to find my family but I'll see you tomorrow, V!" I call out, pushing into the crowd. She waves and walks the opposite way. I bump into a football player and look up to see that it's Archie. 

"Betty, hey! I was just looking for you. Walk with me?" He asks.

"Sorry, Arch, I gotta find my family." I give him a sorrowful look, my lip pouting. 

"I just saw them walk this way. Come on." He tugs on my arm, begging. 

"Okay," I follow him. "Congrats on the win tonight!"

"Thanks, yeah." 

"You were great." I praise him, even though I didn't even watch.

"Eh, I was okay." He shrugs.

"Well, you won so you must've done well." 

He nods. "Yeah... actually, I really wanted to ask you something..." His voice fades out as my eyes land on a group of teenagers by motorcycles. I see Jughead and smile, blushing when he waves. He grins at me and Archie pulls me to a stop a couple feet away, so close to them I'm sure they can hear. 

"Betty! Are you listening? What do you say?" Archie snaps me back to reality. I shake my head, as if i could shake out the thought of Jughead sitting a few feet away. 

"Sorry, what do I think about what?" I ask.

"Do you wanna go out with me?" He repeats.

I look over at Jughead and he's looking at the ground, his eyebrows knitted together. 

"Oh, Archie, sorry but I don't really like you like that. I'm sorry, really, but I'd rather be just friends... if that's okay." My face flushes, embarrassed.

Archie's face falters and he frowns. "Oh, well, that's okay."

"Sorry." I tell him, but I'm looking at Jughead he covers his mouth and it looks like he's laughing. 

"It's okay. Um, I should go. See ya." Archie walks off, rubbing his neck. I feel bad but I barely even notice that he left. 

I walk over to Jughead, hoping he didn't hear that.

"Hey." He says when I'm closer.

"Hey, you didn't happen to hear that did you?" I plead.

"You mean the redhead asking you out while you weren't even paying attention and then you rejecting him? No, I didn't hear a thing." Jughead laughs and I cover my face with my hands. 

"Ugh, I'm an awful person." I mumble into them. 

"Hey, no you're not. So what? You didn't like the guy that likes you, too bad." He says while pulling my hands from my face. 

I smile at him and open my mouth to thank him when I hear a voice yell at me from behind.

"Elizabeth! What on Earth are you doing with these... snakes?" It's my mother dragging my family behind her. Chic smirks from where he stands, staring at me. Jughead's friends stand closer at the sign of trouble, protecting their king, no doubt. 

"Mom, calm down, they're my friends." 

"They're in a gang, Betty," My dad says. "Don't tell her to calm down."

"I can't believe this. Let's go." My mom says.

I turn to Jughead and his friends. "I'm sorry. Bye Juggie, bye guys."

I start to walk past my mom when Chic reaches out and grabs my wrist. 

"Well, look at this! Betty drinks beer now?" He asks. I look at down and see I'm still holding the beer bottle that Jughead let me use for my face. 

"Betty? What are you doing with that?" My mom gasps.

"Mom, I can explain. I'm not drinking it, I was using it to ice the bruise from earlier. I-" I'm cut off again, by my father.

"That's enough, Betty. Give me that." He takes the bottle and throws it at my feet. I jump and watch it shatter, shards flying all over the ground.  
I step back as my dad grabs my arm. 

He whispers, "I will not be responsible for a drunk teenager walking around." 

"I'm not drunk! I used it to ice the bruise you left!" I whisper back at him. I know he doesn't want people to hear and I would prefer that, too. 

He shakes his head. "Good news. Betty said she'll stay and clean up her mess. She would prefer not to keep us waiting and thinks we should just go home. Isn't that right?"

My hands shake and I clench them into fists, forcing my head to nod. The parking lot has cleared out by now, leaving the Serpents and my family. 

"Wow, Elizabeth. After everything I've done to make sure you were perfect, you still manage to screw up. Again." My mom spits, following my dad to the car.

Chic steps up to me and touches the bruise. I jerk my head away as he says, "So glad I decided to come back, aren't you? See you at home, Sis." He walks to my parents and they drive off. I'm left standing there alone, forgetting about the Serpents left behind me. 

"Betty... are you okay?" It's Jughead. I jump and wipe off my tears quickly and turn around to face them. 

"Of course. I'm fine." I squat down to pick up the glass scattered over the pavement. I shiver from the cold night air. I put each piece of glass into my hand, barely noticing when it leaves scratches. They all walk over to help me and I try to hide the hot tears threatening to fall. 

"You're dad... seems... like a handful." Sweet Pea struggles to fill the silence. 

"Yeah. He just got home today, actually. So did my brother, so this is just day one." I force a laugh and Jughead rubs my back, taking the glass out of my hand. The four of them throw out the last couple of pieces and I stand up, rubbing my bare arms. Jughead comes back in front of the other and takes off his jacket.

"Here. You look cold," He hands me the jacket but I shake my head. "Take it."

"Then you'll be cold, Jug. I'm fine, really. You already have done so much. All of you." I say.

"Take the jacket, Betts." He commands.

I sigh and take it. I shrug it on and it's warm and smells faintly of cologne. 

"Thank you," I say. "I'm sorry you all had to see that. That was really embarrassing." 

"Hey, we're here for you. We all have our fair share of family issues." Toni assures me.

I smile at her, thankful to have met such wonderful people.

"Jug, we gotta take off. You coming?" Fangs asks, hopping on his bike. 

"I'll be home soon. I'm gonna take Betty home, first." Jughead says, not taking his eyes off me. 

The other three hop onto their bikes, Toni shares one with Fangs and they take off. Only Jughead and I remain. 

"Jughead, I live kind of far. You don't want to walk with me." I inform him, silently hoping he'll walk with me anyway. It's dark out now and I've never been a fan of the dark.

"Well, good thing I wasn't planning on walking, then." He grins. 

I laugh. "What do you mean?"

He nods towards his bike, handing me the helmet. 

"What? You expect me to get on that thing?" I ask, wide eyed. 

"Yep. Hop on." He says, straddling the bike.

"No way." I shake my head. 

"Well, you could walk alone in the dark. But you seem like the kind of girl who'd be afraid of that option." He laughs. 

I scoff, "At least it would be safer than that thing." 

He tilts his head. "Would it, though?"

"Yes!" I declare.

He laughs and I smile.

"Come on, just get on. I won't let anything hurt you." He gives me puppy dog eyes.

I groan. "Fine." I give in, strapping on the helmet.

"See, look how cute you look in my helmet and jacket." He smirks.

"Shut up." I say getting on behind him. 

"Hold on tight, Princess." 

I wrap my hands around his waist and hold on tight. He knocks off the kick stand and turns the gas. We take off, flying down the road. I scream and he laughs. The wind burns my eyes but I laugh anyway. I bury my face into his back to block the air and smile. Barely ten minutes go by and we're pulling up to my house. He skids to a stop but I don't get up. 

"We're here, Betts." He tells me. 

"I know," I sigh. "I just really want to stay here with you, instead."

He laughs. "I wish you could stay here with me, too."

I sigh and slide off the bike undoing the helmet. I place it on his head and pat down on it, giggling. He smiles and grabs my hand, pulling off the helmet. We laugh into the quiet night.

"I had a nice time tonight. Well the part with you guys was fun, not. . . you know." I say.

"Yeah, I know," He smiles. "I'll text you tonight, okay?"

"Okay." 

We stare at each other, silently, and my heart races. His hand still holds mine and he squeezes it, gently. My porch lights switch on and the door opens. 

"Elizabeth? Is that you?" My mother calls out into the blackness.

"Yeah, it's me." I yell, taking my eyes off Jughead's. 

He laughs, "Saved by the bell." 

I laugh, too, and then sigh.

"I gotta go. Text me." I say, quietly.

"Definitely. Bye, Betts." He says, smiling. He loosens his grip on my hand and I squeeze it quickly, slipping my hand out form his.

"Bye, Juggie." I turn and hop up my steps, still in his jacket. I think about reminding him that I'm still wearing it but I decide I'd rather return it tomorrow. I throw one last look over my shoulder, smiling at him, before closing the door.


	6. Jughead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's some swearing***

Is it possible to have a soulmate? I'm a bad guy. It's in my DNA. I hurt people and I like it. I've always been happy that way. I have a small group of close friends and a whole gang which I control. It shouldn't get any better for a Southsider. But it just did. Maybe love at first sight isn't real, maybe I'm crazy. But it felt so right, perfect. I'm not a good guy, I'm dangerous. But she makes me feel calm, and reminds me that I'm just a seventeen year old boy. I pulled up to my trailer hopping up the steps. I swung open the door and my dad jerked up from his spot on the couch, the slam of the door hitting the wall scaring him.

" _Jug_ ," He sighed, relieved to see it's just me. "How was you're night, boy?"

"It was actually good." I informed him, leaving out every detail.

"Good, good," He said, leaning back against the couch as I sat next to him. "Who won?"

"What?" I asked.

"The game. Who won?"

"Oh, Riverdale High." I said. 

"Aw, too bad. We'll get 'em next time." He shook his head. 

"Well, that's not gonna be for a while since we're merging schools." I reminded him.

"Oh, that's right. Oh, well."

"What did you do tonight, dad?" I asked, not really interested in the TV, or this conversation, quite frankly.

"Went down to the Wyrm, got a drink or two, watched some TV." He lazily described his uneventful night. I nodded glancing at my phone, remembering to text Betty. I got up and my dad patted my arm. 

"Hey Jug?" My dad called after me.

"Yeah?" I asked. "Oh, do you want the bed?" Our trailer only has one bedroom, one bed. We alternate with the bed and the couch, since it's just us two. 

"No, you can have it," He said. "But where the hell is your Serpent jacket?" One of our Serpent laws was 'A serpent never sheds his skin.' Basically that means that we're in the gang for life, no getting out until you retire and you always wear your jacket. 

"Oh, um, I let someone borrow it since it was cold tonight and she didn't have a jacket." I defended myself.

" _She_? Don't go falling in love with some random girl who's not even a fucking Serpent!" 

"God, dad! I just met her! I'll get it back tomorrow morning, okay?" 

"You better get it back, Jug, I swear to god. Is she a Southsider or a Northsider?" My dad questioned. 

"Northsider." I replied, the adrenaline from tonight's events vanishing from my exhausted teenage body.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" He yelled. "Who?" 

I kept my mouth shut. If he knew I'd been hanging out with the Northside Princess of all people he would kill me. 

"Who, Jughead?!" He was getting angrier.

"Betty Cooper." I huffed. 

He slammed his beer bottle down, sending liquid to splash out of the top. "Damn it, Jughead!" 

"What's the big deal?" 

"The ' _big deal_ ' is that you can't have a fucking Northsider as your Serpent Queen!" 

"Who said I even liked her?" I pointed out.

"You're a jerk, Jug! Or did you forget who you are? She's already making you go soft! You're supposed to be tough, Jug! Not some half-baked king that can't do what's necessary."

"I _can_ do what's necessary! Can you calm down? Maybe she's making me better, did you think about that? No, of course you didn't." I shook my head. "I'm going to bed." I stomped into the room, slamming the door. I flopped down on my bed whipping out my phone. I found Betty's contact, sending her a message. 

**Me** : hey betts it's jughead

 **Me** : just making sure ur ok

I sent my messages and put my phone next to me, waiting for a response. 

**Betty** : Juggie, hey! im good

 **Me** : good 😃

 **Betty** : hru?

 **Me** : im ok...

 **Betty** : elaborate

 **Me** : just had a fight with my dad, no big deal

 **Betty** : 😞 i'm sorry

 **Me** : its no big deal

 **Betty** : i have ur jacket, totally forgot to give it back

 **Me** : no worries! pop's tomorrow for jacket exchange and waffles? 😉

 **Betty** : perfect! what time?

 **Me** : 10 am?

 **Betty** : sounds good 

**Me** : u tired?

 **Betty** : yeah i'm sure u r 2 so go 2 sleep

 **Me** : will do 😉

 **Betty** : Goodnight Juggie😊

 **Me** : goodnight betts 😊

I turned off my phone, sliding into boxers and a fresh tee. I quickly fell asleep, no worries, just excitement to fill my dreams.

* * *

I awoke to the sun blinding me through, slipping through the windows. I rolled out of bed, changing to get ready for Pop's. I shuffled into the kitchen grabbing my iconic beanie from the counter where I had tossed it last night, pulling it on. I poured a small glass of orange juice, trying to not think about how hungry I was. One thing you should know about me is that I'm always hungry. Today, of course, was no different as I checked the clock to see it was only 9:23 am. over half an hour to go. I wished I had chosen an earlier time, I couldn't wait much longer without eating right now. Just as that thought rounded my brain, my phone beeped, a text from Betty lighting the screen. 

**Betty** : Morning sunshine u up?

I laughed as I typed a response.

 **Me** : im up and im hungry! cant wait to eat🙏

 **Betty** : if ur so hungry wanna go early? meet at 9:40?

 **Me** : yes please! just thought you should know: you've saved my life. thank you.🙏

 **Betty** : haha happy to help

 **Me** : see u there😌

 **Betty** : perfect😋

I shut off my phone and head for the door, eager to eat, though I'd be there early. I grabbed my beanie and looked around for my jacket before remembering it was otherwise engaged and not here. I glanced at the couch where my dad slept and shut the door behind me. The streets were practically empty as I flew down them towards Pop's. Pop's Chocklit Shop was everyone's favorite place, North and Southside alike. It was directly on the border of the Northside and the Southside because it was meant for all, not just one half of Riverdale. As soon as the Northside was in view, you could see it's already busy streets compared to the Southside. I parked my motorcycle and walked through the door, the familiar bell ringing with every customer. It was already busy in here, mostly Northsiders occupying the space. I waved to Pop, the lovable owner of the diner. He knew everyone in town, memorized their orders, too. I sat down in my regular booth by the window, thankful it was available. Pop walked over with some coffee for me. 

"How are you today, Jug?" He asked me, topping off someone's mug. 

"I'm good, Pop. Busy this morning, huh?" I noticed. 

"Yep, the Saturday morning rush." He nodded. 

I glanced at my phone. It was 9:36. 

"You want your usual this morning?" He asked.

"Yeah, but make it two coffees and two waffles, please." I added.

"You got company?" 

"Yep. She'll be here soon."

" _She_? Does Jug finally talk to girls?" Pop joked.

"It's the dawn of a new era," I laughed. "But we're just friends."

"Okay, just friends, then." He nodded. 

"How did you know it wasn't Toni?" I wondered.

"Well, when you talked about this girl, you grinned. Plus, you only ever bring Toni around for lunch or dinner and you always come in together, since you live in the same park." He explained.

"Wow, Pop, you should've been a detective." I joked, stunned.

"In another life, kid. I'm quite happy here."

"Good, because I can't imagine this place without you."

"Well, I'm getting old, Jug..." Pop considered.

"Wow, way to bum me out, Pop." I laughed, once, quietly.

"Sorry, you don't have to worry about me. I've still got a few years left in the ol' engine," He assured me. "So who should I be expecting?"

I opened my mouth to answer when she walked in and looked around, her eyes falling on me. Betty walked over sliding into the booth.

"Hey, Juggie, hope I'm not too late." She apologized. 

"No, no, not at all, you're right on time." I said, sipping my coffee. 

"Hiya, Betty! This is an interesting pair," He said. "But it works."

He grabbed another mug for Betty, filling it three quarters of the way full, knowing she likes cream in her coffee. 

"How are you, Betty?" He asked her, brightly. 

"I'm just fine, Pop, you?" She responded, smiling just as brightly. 

"I'm doing well, hun," He answered. "Waffles fine for you?"

"Yes, sir." She allowed. 

"Alright-y, I'll be back." 

Betty and I fell in an easy conversation about school, teachers, writing. She was incredibly easy to talk to. I was surprised by how easily we clicked, every conversation connected, puling us deeper. I traced her features, smiling. 

"Oh, hey, I have your jacket." She reminded me, grabbing it from the bench and handing it over the table. 

"Oh, thank you, Betts." I slid it on, noticing it's warmth. I smirked. 

"What?" She asked, suspicious. 

"Nothing." I answered, still smiling. 

Seriously, what is it?" 

"Don't worry, it's nothing." I reassured her. She nodded. If the jacket was warm that means she'd been wearing it recently. That made me smile. 

The music changed then, switching from an old song nobody recognized to a familiar song: _Someone to You_ by Banners.

Betty gasped. "I love this song!" She exclaimed. She swayed in her seat, singing every word, just loud enough for the people near us to look over. I smiled at her, completely in her element. She grabbed my hands, our fingers interlocking over the table and swung them back and forth so we were dancing in our seats. I realized this song just became my favorite. Every lyric matched exactly how I felt about the girl sitting across from me, dancing, holding my hands, singing. I laughed loudly as she closed her eyes. I didn't care that people were staring. I didn't care that people didn't see me as tough. I didn't fucking care as long as she stayed here. As long as she held my hands and danced. I wanted her. I didn't care that we just met. Maybe I believed in soulmates because she was my other half. The song ended and she opened her eyes. 

"Sorry about that." She giggled. 

"Don't apologize, I loved the show." I laughed as she blushed. Pop came over, carrying our food. He glanced at our hands as he set down the food. We pulled away grabbing our forks. I stuffed a huge bite into my mouth, starving. Betty looked at me, stunned.

"Slow down, we've got time." She laughed. 

"I know, I'm just so hungry," I explained. "Do you want bacon?"

"No thanks."

I waved to Pop. "Can I get one big order of bacon?" He gave me a thumbs up, heading to the kitchen. We settled into a comfortable silence as we ate, talking when we had something to say, laughing, eating. It was such a nice morning. Being here with her was easy and it felt so right. We finished up, slowing down, picking at our food. I finished up my coffee and leaned back. She reached over and grabbed a piece of my bacon. I smiled at how natural it was. 

"What time is it?" She wondered.

I looked down at my phone. "11:04." 

"I have to go over to the Register to help my mom out so I should get going."

"Aw, okay." 

She reached into her purse puling out a credit card. 

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," I put y hands up. "What are you doing?"

"Paying for our food.." She explained.

"No, you're not," I said. "I invited you out so it's my treat." 

"But my card's already out." She pointed out. 

I pulled mine out. "Well, now so is mine."

"Ugh, fine but I'm paying the tip."

"Sounds good." I agreed.

"And I'm paying next time."

"Next time?" I smiled.

"Yeah," Her eyes got wide. "Do you want there to be a next time?"

"Yeah, I do." I laughed at how defensive she got. 

"Okay," she relaxed. "Good, me too." 

Pop came over, grabbing my credit card and our dishes. I looked back at Betty and she was staring at me. I let her look for a minute before laughing. 

"Oh, sorry!" she apologized, embarrassed. 

"No worries, Princes." I replied, grinning.

Pop returned my card and Betty stood, thanking Pop as she slid on her jacket. I stood, too, mine already on. We walked outside into the warm sun. I stopped at my bike. 

"Well, I had fun today, Betts." I told her. 

"Yeah, me too," She said, smiling. "I'll see you later, Juggie!" She called, walking down the street towards her family's newspaper business, the Riverdale Register.

"See ya, Betts!" I called. I smiled, driving towards the Southside. It had been a nice morning and I loved it. I guess I have to admit, I really, really like a Northsider, I like the Northside Princess.


	7. Betty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are falling easily into place... could it possibly be too easy? 
> 
> Warning: This may be a triggering to some people!!!

_"A week had flown by since Jughead and I had breakfast at Pop's. It was unsettling that I hadn't received a text since then. Not even a "Hey, I'm going off the grid for a while. Talk to you later" kind of text had been conveyed. Maybe I was being too paranoid, or self-conscious. But what exactly did I have to be self-conscious about? I didn't do anything, did I? Perhaps my little outburst to that song at breakfast had been weird... But how could that send him running? He said it was entertaining, even though I had turned bright red with embarrassment."_ I sighed, a breathless, desperate sigh, stretching out my hand, releasing the pen which I was writing with. " _A week wasn't that long, right? I mean, he was the leader of a gang, that had to be keeping him busy."_

" _Elizabeth_?" My mom called from the kitchen. 

"What?" I yelled back down, not getting a response. I grunted, standing from my bed where I had been writing in my diary. I stumbled down the stairs, balance was a troubling thing for me, and trotted into the kitchen where my mom stood, holding a half-empty bottle of Adderall. 

"Elizabeth," She repeated, warily. "Why is this not empty yet? It should've been gone five days ago, now."

My face twisted. I had been diagnosed with ADHD, attention deficient hyperactivity disorder, a long time ago. My mom struggled to keep me focused, to stay still even, before finding out I had it. Adderall was a drug, prescribed to me by Dr. Glass, that produced more positive outcomes for my ever present restlessness, but had negative side effects, including; Loss of appetite, weight loss, dry mouth, stomach upset/pain, nausea/vomiting, dizziness, headache, diarrhea, fever, nervousness, and trouble sleeping may occur. I'd dealt with everything often, except diarrhea, thank god. I had stopped taking it when my dad arrived home, tired of feeling so still and structured. I turned towards my fuming mother, no excuses coming to mind. 

"Well, I guess I just forgot one day and my ADHD made me continue to forget. You can't blame me, Mom, the disorder made me do it." I smirked at my ending, though my mom did not find it amusing. 

"I'll have to monitor you, then. Every couple hours, I'll be waiting for you." Mother suggested, shaking her head. 

"No," I winced. I couldn't stand having her breathing down my neck even more then she already did. "I can handle it. I made a simple mistake." 

"Fine. You have one more chance, Betty, and that's it. It's no wonder you've been so sluggish. It's a symptom of withdrawal, you know." 

"Yeah, I know. But, I felt more worked up, actually, not as slow." I confessed.

"Hmm, maybe that's why you've been acting out." Chic threw in, turning the corner. I jumped at the sound of his voice, the sound made my skin crawl. " _Calm down."_ I told myself, clenching my shaking hands into fists. 

"Betty, take your medicine in an hour. You'll be all jumpy, otherwise." My mother commanded, sliding the pill bottle across the counter. I nodded, dropping it into my purse.

"Mom?" Chic asked, drawing his eyes away from my face. "I was thinking that maybe I could take Betty to dinner, since I haven't gotten a chance to catch up with her, yet. How does that sound?"

My jaw dropped, my heat racing. " _No."_ I thought. " _No, no, no, no!"_

"What a _wonderful_ idea, Chic! Go to Pop's, have some fun, stay out late!" She clapped, excited at the sound of sibling bonding time. 

"Betty? What do you say?" Chic smirked at my horrified face. I pulled myself together, trying to speak, at a loss for words.

"Of course, she'd love to!" My mom answered for me. 

"Great!" Chic accepted my mom's answer, grabbing a jacket. "Go put on a skirt, Betty. We're not going to Pop's."

I gulped, trudging up the stairs, into my room. Tears were threatening to spill over, hot and loud. I went to my closet, searching for a skirt, as Chic suggested. I pulled on a pink plaid skirt, ending just barely halfway between my waist and my knees, finishing the look with a white shirt, twisted at the bottom, so it stopped just above my waist line. I touched up my makeup, pulling my hair into a tighter ponytail. I hopped down the stairs, acting cheerful, though I wanted to die at the thought of alone time with Chic. Pulling on Vans, I grabbed my small purse, running out to the car where Chic waited. It was quiet in the car, neither of us speaking as he drove. I hated silence, though I had nothing to say to him. I checked my purse, making sure I had my phone and Adderall. I did, though my phone was running low on battery. 

I cleared my throat, breaking the suffocating silence. "Chic," I started. "Where are we going?" 

"I have to take care of something." He answered, simply.

"Take care of what?"

"Just some business." 

"We're headed towards the Southside." I noticed, palms sweaty. "Chic. What business do you have on the Southside?"

"It'll be quick," Chic assured me, though I couldn't trust him, I never could. Not even before he left, taken to the Sisters of Quiet Mercy, a home for troubled youth. He was required treatment after brutally trying to literally kill me four years ago. I had been thirteen, him fifteen. Only two years later, Polly had killed herself. I knew my dad had something to do with it. I just couldn't figure out what could be so devastating that she couldn't hold on, couldn't stay with me. I shook the memory out of my head, shrinking back into my seat. I watched the trees fly by, trying to remember every landmark and sign we passed, but it had grown too dark. Eventually, after half an hour of uncomfortable silence, Chic stopped the car. 

"Get out." He insisted. My eyes grew wide as I searched his for answers. He rolled his eyes, getting out of the car, slamming the door. I quickly followed, not wanting to stay here alone, even if it meant following Chic into pure blackness. I stumbled along behind him, gasping every few seconds, swearing I saw shapes move around me in the darkness. I fixed my eyes on Chic, he was my only way home. We stopped at an old warehouse. It looked abandoned, forgotten. I looked around, confused.

"Chic, what type of business do you have here?" I shivered in the cold, silently cursing myself for forgetting a jacket. He turned towards me, a devilish smirk painted across his face. 

"Only time will tell, Betty. Patience." He turned back around, knocking twice, lightly, on the door. My stomach dropped. Fear, strong and fresh, seeped into my veins. Shaking, I cautiously pulled out my phone. I turned it on, finding Veronica's number. I was about to click on it, calling for help, or just a ride home, when a voice slithered out from the surrounding blackness. 

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." My heart fluttered at the calm voice. Crazy, how my body, even in a time of danger, could react so impulsively to that familiar voice. _Jughead Jones._ His slim figure made its way out of the trees, followed by a large group of boys. His Serpents. 

"Juggie?" I asked, breathlessly. Confusion replaced the fear. _What was Jughead doing here, here for Chic?_ My pulse quickened as he approached. 

"Put the phone down, Betty." He commanded harshly. I was taken aback by the hard set of his eyes, holding mine. 

"What? No." I responded. Fear was gone, only blurry thoughts left. 

"Tsk tsk tsk," Jughead clicked his tongue, shaking his head. "Now, Betty. I don't want to have to hurt you."

 _Hurt me?_ Amazing how even as a threat approached, even though he was the threat, I longed for him. No, not amazing. Dangerous. I dropped the phone, watching it bounce at my feet. Jughead nodded, approvingly.

"Good Girl."

My eyebrows knitted together as Chic walked forward to meet them. He walked past me, reaching for my arm, which I yanked out of the way. He lunged for it again, successfully thrusting me forward.

"Walk, Betty." Chic snarled, making me wince. 

"Sibling bonding time, my ass." I muttered. I heard Jughead chuckle, darkly. I walked forward anyway, towards certain doom. 

"Do you have it?" Jughead asked Chic, rolling a toothpick against his teeth, his dark curls casting shadows over his eyes. 

"Penny wasn't ready." Chic said, lazily.

"I didn't ask if Penny was ready," Jug sneered, harshly, making Chic jump. "I asked if _you_ had the _cash_."

Chic shifted his weight to his other foot. I was trying to stay still. To not draw attention to myself, but the lack of Adderall in my system was making me squirmy. 

"No," Chic confessed, seemingly worried. "I don't have it all."

Jughead rolled his eyes, motioning his boys forward. Chic held up his free hand. It was shaking. 

"Wait! I have a taste of it with me." He pulled out a thick white envelope, holding it out towards Jughead. Sweet Pea came forward instead, grabbing the envelope. 

"Ha! Not even half." He chortled, cockily.

Jughead made a sound, it sounded like an amused growl. "Not even half? You got lazy, Chic." 

"No, Penny said this would tide you over for long enough, buy us some extra time." He explained. "All we need it three months and-" He was cut of by Jughead whipping out a knife, jutting it towards Chic's throat. A small shriek escaped my lips. He stopped half an inch away. Goosebumps rose on my arms. 

"I gave you more than enough time before," He growled. "Give me the girl." My eyes widened. I looked around. There was no other girl here he could be referring to. This wasn't the Jughead I knew. This Jughead scared me. He was willing to hurt me. Chic pushed me forward and Jug's arm wrapped around my waist, so my back was pressed against him. He moved the switchblade so it was held against my neck. I shivered, though it wasn't from the cold. 

"You have a week," Jughead told Chic, who briskly nodded. "One week. Or your sister, here, dies and you have a murder on your hands. You'll be next" My body shook against Jughead's as I let out a silent sob. Jughead's arm tightened around my waist in response. 

"I would get going if I were you, Chic. Tick Tock." Chic spun around and took off without a second glance in my direction. As soon as his car was out of sight, the blade was removed from my neck. My leg bounced restlessly, my hands shaking. I needed to take my Adderall. It'd been too long without it. Over a month. I remembered it in my purse but I was too afraid to speak up. Still pressed against Jughead, I was pushed forward, forced to trip my way towards the warehouse. My thoughts shifted all over the place. I tried to concentrate, tried to think of a plan but my ADHD was getting to me. Thoughts bouncing from the feel of Jughead's body, to the cool air, to the color of the warehouse, to the pain in my legs distracted me. We made it into the building, where it was no warmer inside than it was in the open outdoors. They all had jackets wrapped around them, featuring a symbol of a snake. I was shoved restlessly into the basement, where my bag was stripped from me, along with any hope of my medication. 

"Fangs. Go grab her phone. We don't need evidence laying around." Jughead said, sending Fangs out. Only Jughead and Sweet Pea remained, along with one other unrecognizable Serpent. That one was older than them, by a good two to three decades.The Serpent tossed Sweet Pea a metal object which he carried towards me. I pressed myself further against Jughead, praying he wouldn't let go. Sweet Pea came closer and I pushed harder back, terrified of what that object could be. A gun? Jug stumbled back a bit, caught off guard by the force of my body, but quickly regained balance. He held out his free hand and Sweet Pea stopped, handing him the object. Handcuffs. I whimpered as Jughead took the object. 

"Shh," He shushed me, arm still wrapped around my waist, touching the bare skin. "Cooperate, Cooper." He spun me around so we were face to face and he started walking. I backpedaled, still attached to Jughead. He pushed me down so I was on the ground next to a pole. He attached one end of the cuff to the pole, locking the other around my left wrist. I stared, wide-eyed, confused. He brushed the hair lightly off my face, smirking, giving no hint of reassurance. My leg still bounced restlessly, the ache growing more noticeable. He put his foot on it, attempting to make it stop, but my other leg just shook, instead. 

"Why so bouncy, Betts?" He joked. The use of that endearing nickname pierced through me with such pain, that I gasped aloud. I wiped a tear with my free hand as he removed his foot, allowing my leg to bounce again.

I struggled to speak, mumbling the words. "Adderall. It's in my purse," I explained in a rough voice. "I need it for my ADHD." 

He raised his eyebrows at me but motioned to Sweet Pea to grab my purse, not taking his eyes off of mine. He tossed him the purse, which Jug caught effortlessly and reached into, pulling out the small orange bottle. He rolled it to me, which I took quickly, uncapping it. It was impossible, I couldn't get it off without my left hand. Jughead strolled forward, snatching the bottle in an annoyed grumble. He opened it easily, shaking out a pill. 

"I-I need two." I informed him, quietly. He sighed, spilling another one out, passing them both to me. I swallowed them gratefully, without the privilege of water. I whispered a soft "thank you", to which he just nodded.

"Tall Boy," Jughead said, addressing the Serpent I hadn't recognized. "Figure out her dosage. Write it down." 

"You got it, Boss." He said respectfully, though he was clearly twenty years older than him. He leafed around in his pockets before grunting. "I don't have paper or a pen. Do you?"

"Do I look like I carry a fucking notebook around?" Jughead replied, sharply.

"Well, I do." I squeaked. "It's in my bag." Jughead licked his bottom lip, his tongue playing with the toothpick. He dug around in the small purse, quickly pulling out a small spiral notebook with a pen attached, the exact size of the bag. He grinned, amused at the pink color of almost everything I owned. I blushed as he pulled out various pink objects. He laughed lightly. 

"You're a goddamn princess, Cooper." He said, handing the notebook to Tall Boy. 

"Hardly." I mumbled. He stared at me, grin still in place. Tall Boy crouched next to me as Jughead and Sweet Pea walked into a nearby corner, talking in hushed voices. 

"Alright, honey," Tall Boy said, roughly. He didn't use the nickname as an endearment, the way a mother would speak to a child, but, rather, he used it like a catcall, making goosebumps rise on my skin. "What's your dosage or whatever?"

"I need two pills as soon as I wake up and then another dose every couple hours," I watched him write it down in his sloppy scroll. "I-It's recommended every four to six hours and I need to make sure to take it since I skipped a couple weeks." He added the hourly rate, sighing as he stood. I bit my bottom lip as he handed the notebook back to Jughead, who scanned it over. I tried very hard not to cry, focusing on my breathing instead. The shock hadn't really hit me yet, this felt unreal. The handcuff dug into my wrist and I tried not to tug on it too much. Jughead roamed back over to me, crouching over my frame, my long legs tucked under him. His eyes scanned my body, sporting short, tight clothes. 

"Get some sleep, Princess," He grinned at the reused nickname, brushing his fingers lightly over my cheekbone. "I'll see you in the morning." He stood, thumping up the stairs, flanked by the two Serpents. He stopped at the top, smirking at me one last time before flicking out the lights. The darkness shocked me. I'd always been afraid of it.

"No! Jughead! Jughead, don't!" I screamed, terror finally slipping past my walls. "Please! Don't leave! Please!" The door slammed shut and I stopped shouting, continuing my pleads in a quiet whisper. "Juggie... please. Please, Jug, don't leave me. Not in here, in the dark, alone. Please, please, please..." I trailed off, sobs racked my body. Tears streamed down my face, not touching my waterproof mascara. I reached up and yanked out the tight ponytail, running my hands through it, still crying. I busied myself with smoothing it down. Eventually, the sobs tired me out. I twisted my body around the pole as not to jerk my wrist. I lied there, alone, in the darkness, silently praying. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned!!!!!


	8. Jughead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yooo, i'm running on zero hours of sleep, i'm shaky from caffeine, its 5am! It's okay though 😋😘 i'm excited to write these parts✌
> 
> Sorry this is so short and not that well written :(

"No! Jughead! Jughead, don't!" She screamed. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to ignore her shouts coming from the dark room.

"Please! Don't leave! Please!" I hurriedly slammed the door, shoving past Tall Boy and Sweet Pea, walking towards Fangs who stood there, stunned, holding Betty's phone. I snatched it from his hand, feeling the wet shimmer from the damp grass. I was feeling irritated, I didn't want to feel emotions that would lead me astray. I had a plan, I'd stick to it. Honestly, I wasn't going to pull Betty into this, it just happened that way. I'd gone soft the past couple of weeks. I wouldn't go soft again. I'd be ruthless, cruel. That's who I'm meant to be. No blonde cheerleader from the Northside would change that. No matter how it felt to have her body pressed against mine. No matter how long I stared into her emerald green eyes, I'd be evil. I paced back to the door, letting the Serpents go to sleep. It was already 2:56 am. I sat next to the door, hearing her reckless sobs rattle her small frame. I could imagine her down there, pitch black, shadows dancing along the darkness, mind playing tricks. I sighed and shook off the worry beating its way through me. Once she got quiet, I stood, heading for the room I chose. But, Toni stepped out in front of me, cutting me off.

"Gah! Toni, jeez, you scared the hell out of me!" I tiredly rubbed my face, startled by her presence. 

"Sorry, Jones," She laughed, clearly not sorry. "Waiting for her to sleep?" 

"Wh-What? No, I was making sure she wouldn't escape." I tried to lie, but the truth was clear. 

"You can't fool me, Jug. It's okay to care, you know." 

"No, it's not." I replied, simply.

She sighed, clearly tired from today, as well.

"Hey, where were you?" I questioned. She hadn't been around today, no explanation had been offered, other than, she was "busy."

"Oh, um, I was out with a friend." Toni supplied. I raised my eyebrow.

"Yeah, right," Like she new when I was lying, I knew she was giving me a half truth. "Had a little late night rendez-vous with a certain redhead?"

"Shut up." Toni joked, turning pink. I raised my hands up in mock surrender.

"Hey, it's none of my business." I laughed. Still standing by the basement door, we heard a loud rattle of the cuffs and a groan, muffled by a sob. My heart broke. 

"How long are you going to keep her locked up down there?" Toni asked, looking at the door.

"She has until the end of the week." I answered. Even to me, my voice sounded strained. 

"And then she dies?"

"Yep." My voice broke on the word.

"Jug..." She started.

"Don't." I interrupted. "Don't start. I do it all the time, chill."

She shrugged turning away from the door. "You can check on her, you know." With that she left, leaving me leaning against the thick door. I groaned, turning the door knob. The quiet sob she'd been hiding immediately cut off. It was quiet as I trudged, sleepily, down the steps. I was still in my day clothes, I hadn't had a chance to change. I put another toothpick in, rolling it between my teeth. It was extremely dark, no wonder she was scared. I couldn't see her, but I knew where I'd cuffed her. I squinted, making out her outline. I walked, slowly, carefully, over to her. She was quiet, obviously frightened, as she held her breath. I stood in front of her, squatting down over her. 

"J-Jug?" Betty asked, carefully.

"Yeah, it's me."

"What are you doing?" She sniffed.

"Checking on you, of course." I replied.

"Oh."

I moved over her, sitting down next to her, our arms touching. I groaned uncomfortably against the cool, hard floor. 

"You okay?" She asked, cautiously.

"You're actually worried about me?" I asked, shocked.

"I'm worried about the Juggie that danced with me at Pop's. The one that at least _pretended_ to care." 

I looked at her, our faces close enough to feel her breath against my cheek. 

"It wasn't pretend."

She scoffed. "People don't change that quickly."

"Maybe I didn't change, then." 

"Please," She shook her head softly. "Don't go and change your mood abruptly again. I can't keep up."

"Look, Princess," I started. "I'm a fucking gang leader. I kill people, for gods sake." She trembled. "I'm not a good guy. That's just the way it is. At the end of the week, if Chic doesn't pull through, I'm gonna have to kill you, Cooper. End your fucking life."

She winced. "Why...?" 

"Because that's my fucking job!" I shouted. She jumped at the volume of my voice. "I'm sorry, Betty. I really am."

"No..." She turned her head away from me. "No, you're not."

I shook my head. "Welcome to Hell, Princess. You better fucking pray your brother gets $1,600 by the end of the week."

"I already did." 

I laughed, softly, amused. "Go to sleep, Betty."

"Okay." She rested her back softly against the wall. "Are you staying?"

"Someone's gotta watch you." 

"Where am I gonna go, Jug?" She smiled, a pained smile. I wanted to let her go, desperately, but I couldn't. She closed her eyes and, whether she slept or not, didn't open them again that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It'll get better... <3


End file.
